Arizona, constituent state of the United States of America. Arizona is the sixth largest state in the country in terms of area. Its population has always been predominantly urban, particularly since the mid-20th century, when urban and suburban areas began growing rapidly at the expense of the countryside. Some scholars believe that the state’s name comes from a Basque phrase meaning “place of oaks,” while others attribute it to a Tohono O’odham (Papago) Indian phrase meaning “place of the young (or little) spring.” Arizona achieved statehood on February 14, 1912, the last of the 48 conterminous United States to be admitted to the union.

Arizona is a land of contradictions. Although widely reputed for its hot low-elevation desert covered with cacti and creosote bushes, more than half of the state lies at an elevation of at least 4,000 feet (1,200 metres) above sea level, and it possesses the largest stand of evergreen ponderosa pine trees in the world.

Arizona is well known for its waterless tracts of desert, but, thanks to many large man-made lakes, it has many more miles of shoreline than its reputation might suggest. Such spectacular landforms as the Grand Canyon and the Painted Desert have become international symbols of the region’s ruggedness, yet Arizona’s environment is so delicate that in many ways it is more threatened by pollution than are New York City and Los Angeles. Its romantic reputation as a wild desert and a place of old-fashioned close-to-the-earth simplicity is at variance with the fact that after the 1860s the state’s economy became industrial and technological long before it was pastoral or agrarian.

Arizona is located in the southwestern quadrant of the conterminous states, bordered by California to the west, Nevada to the northwest, Utah to the north, New Mexico to the east, and the Mexican state of Sonora to the south. The Colorado River forms the boundary with California and Nevada. Phoenix, situated in the south-central part of the state, is the capital and largest city. Area 113,990 square miles (295,233 square km). Population (2020) 7,151,502.

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Transport in Arizona

Transportation

Like other western states, Arizona has not emphasized the development of mass transit systems, and state and municipal governments struggle to build sufficient roads to accommodate a swelling population. It has long been so. The state’s earliest service industry was long-distance cartage over rough desert and mountain country; in modern times, the five interstate highways that pass through Arizona are crowded with heavy trucks. These highways generally follow historic roads, most of which were established along Native American trade routes and accommodated stagecoaches and freight carriers.

The railroads followed in the later 19th century, with well-established east-west routes passing through southern and northern Arizona, but there was little service to the rugged interior. A greater focus on mass transit development was evident in the state’s larger cities in the early 21st century. A light-rail system that served Phoenix and the surrounding areas began operating in 2008, and Tucson launched a streetcar service in 2014.

Surface transportation is generally organized on the model of southern California, with streets on a grid pattern punctuated by freeways and highways. Within the cities some attention has been given to the development of bicycle paths. Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport offers nonstop international and domestic flights; Tucson International Airport provides more-limited nonstop flights; and Flagstaff and Yuma airports have fewer still. Many other towns have airports capable of accommodating small jet aircraft, and there are numerous military airfields as well.

Roads

The Interstate Highways in Arizona are the segments of the Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways that are owned and maintained by the U.S. state of Arizona, totaling about 1,169 miles (1,881 km). Arizona has a total of six Interstate Highways, all of which are mainline highways; there are no auxiliary highways. The longest Interstate in Arizona is Interstate 10 (I-10), which traverses east-west through the southern and central parts of the state, serving Phoenix. There are also a total of fourteen active business routes and eight former routes, which were either business loops or spurs for all main highways except. All of Arizona’s existing Interstate Highways have overtaken or replaced some U.S. Routes, which either involved decommissioning or running concurrent with the existing route.

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is the agency responsible for building and maintaining the Interstate Highways in the Arizona State Highway System. These highways are built to Interstate Highway standards, which are freeways that have a 75-mile-per-hour (121 km/h) speed limit in rural areas and a 65 mph (105 km/h) speed limit in urban areas. The numbering scheme used to designate the Interstates was developed by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), an organization composed of various state departments of transportation in the United States.

Rail

Passport validity

If you are visiting the USA your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay. You don’t need any additional period of validity on your passport beyond this.

Check with your travel provider to make sure your passport and other travel documents meet their requirements.

The US Customs and Border Protection programme Global Entry gets pre-approved travellers through border control faster at some US airports. If you’re a British citizen you can register to get a UK background check on GOV.UK. If you pass the background checks, you’ll be invited to apply for Global Entry.

UK Emergency Travel Documents

UK Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs) aren’t valid for entry into the USA or transit through the USA on an ESTA. If you’re planning to enter or transit through the USA using an ETD, you must apply for a visa from the nearest US embassy or consulate before you travel, which may take a number of days, or hold a valid lawful permanent resident card (often referred to as a ‘green card’), which you must have with you on arrival. UK ETDs issued in the USA are valid for exit from the USA.

Bringing medicines into the USA

There are restrictions and prohibitions on the import of certain prescription drugs into the US. The USA Food and Drug Administration website contains further information and advice on bringing medicines into the USA.

Travel Requirements

You will need to get a visa or an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) visa waiver to enter or transit the USA as a visitor. You should consult the US State Department website to determine which you will need.

You should be aware that if you have travelled to or have been in Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen on or after 1 March 2011, you are normally not eligible for an ESTA visa waiver and will need to apply for a US visa.

You should also be aware that if you have travelled to or have been in Cuba, you may not be eligible for an ESTA visa waiver and may need to apply for a US visa. You should consult the US State Department website to determine which you will need.

The US Embassy advise that travellers who come under the following categories should not attempt to travel on an ESTA and should instead apply for a visa: those who have been arrested (even if the arrest did not result in a criminal conviction); those who have a criminal record; those who have been refused admission into, or have been deported from the USA; those who have previously overstayed under an ESTA. Further details are on the US Embassy Website.

Healthcare

There are restrictions and prohibitions on the import of certain prescription drugs into the USA. The US Food and Drug Administration website contains further information and advice on bringing medicines into the USA. UK prescriptions are not valid in the USA. In order for a British National to obtain pharmacy drugs, you would need to have a prescription from a US provider. This can be done from attending an ‘Urgent Care’ facility, Emergency Room or a doctor’s surgery.

If you think you have COVID-19 symptoms, you should contact a local healthcare provider. More details are available on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Your emotional and mental wellbeing is important. Read guidance on how to look after your mental wellbeing and mental health.

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If you’re not vaccinated

Most fully vaccinated foreign citizens can enter the USA. The US authorities will accept any COVID-19 vaccine approved for emergency use by the World Health Organisation or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These are the AstraZeneca, BIBP/Sinopharm, Covishield, Janssen, Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech and Sinovac vaccines. In addition, those who have received the full series of an active (not placebo) COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca or Novavax COVID-19 vaccine trials are considered vaccinated. More details are on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and US Embassy websites. British nationals planning to travel to the USA should familiarise themselves with the new requirements on the CDC website before booking any travel.

All current visa holders based in the USA who leave the country and then re-enter will need to follow the vaccine entry requirements unless they have an exception. This includes students on F-1 and M-1 visas and those previously issued with an existing National Interest Exception. Further information is on the US Embassy website.

All air passengers to the USA are also required to provide contact information to their airlines before boarding. You should check with your airline before you travel for more details. Effective from Sunday 12 June 2022 at 00:01 ET (5:01 am BST), the CDC no longer require pre-departure COVID-19 testing for USA-bound air travellers.

Upon arrival, fully vaccinated travellers:

• do not have to quarantine
• are recommended to take a viral test within 3 to 5 days of arrival in the US.

If you have recovered from a documented COVID-19 infection within the past 90 days (regardless of vaccination status):

• you do not need to get a test 3 to 5 days after travel

If you are travelling domestically within the USA, individual states and territories may have their own quarantine requirements. A full list of local quarantine requirements is available on the CDC website. You should check the list frequently as it is likely to change, sometimes daily, as rates of COVID-19 transmission increase or decrease.

Proof of vaccination status

The USA will accept the UK’s proof of COVID-19 recovery and vaccination record and proof of COVID-19 vaccination issued in the Crown Dependencies. Your final vaccine dose must have been administered at least 14 days prior to travel. Your NHS appointment card from vaccination centres is not designed to be used as proof of vaccination and should not be used to demonstrate your vaccine status.

The CDC website lists the forms of acceptable proof of COVID-19 status. This also includes the European Union Digital COVID Certificate. Other accepted methods of proof include a printout of a COVID-19 vaccination record or a COVID-19 vaccination certificate issued at national or subnational level or by an authorized vaccine provider. Alternatively, digital photos of a vaccination card or record, a downloaded vaccine record or a vaccination certificate from an official source (e.g. public health agency, government agency, or other authorised vaccine provider), or a mobile phone application without a QR code. All forms of COVID-19 status must have a personal identifier, at a minimum including full name and date of birth, that match the information on a passenger’s passport or other travel documents. It must also include the name of the official source issuing the record and the vaccine manufacturer and date(s) of vaccination.

If you’re not fully vaccinated

Only those with an exception or US Citizens, US Nationals, and US Lawful Permanent Residents will be able to enter the US unvaccinated. More details are on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and US Embassy websites, which includes a list of exceptions from the vaccination requirements for certain categories of non-citizens and non-immigrants.

If you’ve had COVID-19 in the past year

If you’re not fully vaccinated but have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last year you still cannot enter the USA unless you meet one of the exceptions detailed on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and US Embassy websites.

Children and young people

Children 17 and under are exempt from the vaccination requirement.

For travel, the US definition of a fully vaccinated child is the same as the definition of a fully vaccinated adult. This is different to the UK. Further details are on the US Embassy website.

After arrival in the US, children 17 and under that are not fully vaccinated may be required to attest that they will take a test 3 to 5 days and will self-isolate should any symptoms develop or if they test positive. A parent or other authorized person should attest on behalf of a passenger 17 and under. More details are on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

If a child (17 and under) is travelling with only one parent or someone who isn’t a parent or legal guardian, you may be asked to provide certain documents at the border. For further information, see the US Customs and Border Protection website.

Ebola screening

From 6 October 2022, all US-bound passengers who have been in Uganda in the 21 days prior to their arrival in the US will be subject to enhanced screening for Ebola. This will take place at one of five designated US airports. Further information can be found here

Travel Safety

The FCDO travel advice helps you make your own decisions about foreign travel. Your safety is our main concern, but we can’t provide tailored advice for individual trips. If you’re concerned about whether or not it’s safe for you to travel, you should read the travel advice for the country or territory you’re travelling to, together with information from other sources you’ve identified, before making your own decision on whether to travel. Only you can decide whether it’s safe for you to travel.

When we judge the level of risk to British nationals in a particular place has become unacceptably high, we’ll state on the travel advice page for that country or territory that we advise against all or all but essential travel. Read more about how the FCDO assesses and categorises risk in foreign travel advice.

Our crisis overseas page suggests additional things you can do before and during foreign travel to help you stay safe.

Foreign travel checklist

Read our foreign travel checklist to help you plan for your trip abroad and stay safe while you’re there.

Weather

Due to its large area and variations in elevation, the state has a wide variety of localized climate conditions. In the lower elevations, the climate is primarily desert, with mild winters and extremely hot summers. Typically, from late fall to early spring, the weather is mild, averaging a minimum of 60 °F (16 °C). November through February are the coldest months, with temperatures typically ranging from 40 to 75 °F (4 to 24 °C), with occasional frosts.

About midway through February, the temperatures start to rise, with warm days, and cool, breezy nights. The summer months of June through September bring a dry heat from 90 to 120 °F (32 to 49 °C), with occasional high temperatures exceeding 125 °F (52 °C) having been observed in the desert area. Arizona’s all-time record high is 128 °F (53 °C) recorded at Lake Havasu City on June 29, 1994, and July 5, 2007; the all-time record low of −40 °F (−40 °C) was recorded at Hawley Lake on January 7, 1971. 

Due to the primarily dry climate, large diurnal temperature variations occur in less-developed areas of the desert above 2,500 ft (760 m). The swings can be as large as 83 °F (46 °C) in the summer months. In the state’s urban centers, the effects of local warming result in much higher measured night-time lows than in the recent past.

Arizona has an average annual rainfall of 12.7 in (323 mm), which comes during two rainy seasons, with cold fronts coming from the Pacific Ocean during the winter and a monsoon in the summer. The monsoon season occurs toward the end of summer. In July or August, the dewpoint rises dramatically for a brief period. During this time, the air contains large amounts of water vapor. Dewpoints as high as 81 °F (27 °C) have been recorded during the Phoenix monsoon season. This hot moisture brings lightning, thunderstorms, wind, and torrential, if usually brief, downpours. These downpours often cause flash floods, which can turn deadly. In an attempt to deter drivers from crossing flooding streams, the Arizona Legislature enacted the Stupid Motorist Law. It is rare for tornadoes or hurricanes to occur in Arizona.

United States Weather Information

Snow storms

Snow storms during winter can cause disruptions to critical infrastructure, such as power cuts, or delays and cancellations throughout the major transport hubs in the USA. Contact your travel company or airline before you travel. To monitor airport conditions in the USA, visit the Federal Aviation Administration website.

Hurricanes

The Atlantic hurricane season normally runs from June to November. The Pacific hurricane season normally runs from May to November. They can affect US coastal regions, Hawaii and Guam. The South Pacific tropical cyclone season normally runs from November to May and can affect American Samoa.

You should monitor the progress of approaching storms on the US National Hurricane Center website and follow instructions issued by the local authorities, including any evacuation orders.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website contains information about how to prepare for extreme weather conditions and what to do if you are told to evacuate. It also provides a list of disaster supplies that will help if you live in an area affected by storms and hurricanes.

See our tropical cyclones page for advice about how to prepare effectively and what to do if you’re likely to be affected by a hurricane or tropical cyclone.

Earthquakes

Alaska, American Samoa, California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, Northern Mariana Islands, Oklahoma, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington state and the US Virgin Islands are prone to earthquakes. To learn more about what to do before, during and after an earthquake, visit the Federal Emergency Management website.

Tornadoes

Tornadoes can occur at any time of the year depending on weather conditions. To learn more about what you should do during, and after a tornado, visit the FEMA website

Wildfires

Forest and brush fires (wildfires) are a danger in many dry areas. High winds can cause fires to spread very rapidly. Areas of high risk are canyons, hills and forests. Monitor local media and weather reportsand follow the advice of local authorities, including any evacuation orders. Exercise caution in areas which have been recently affected by wild fires as they are more susceptible to mudslides during heavy rainfall.

For more information visit the National Interagency Fire Centre and  Fire Research and Management Exchange System websites.

For more detail about wild fires in California, visit the CAL FIRE website .

Volcanoes

There is continuous volcanic activity on Hawaii’s Big Island. British nationals in the area should monitor local media reports and follow the advice of local authorities, including any evacuation orders. For further updates see the State of Hawaii’s website. To learn more about what to do before, during and after a volcano, visit the Federal Emergency Managementwebsite.

Large numbers of British nationals travel successfully and safely in and around the Arctic each year. The Arctic is, however, a vast region, comprising the northerly areas of Alaska (USA), Canada, Finland, Greenland (Denmark), Iceland, Norway, Russia and Sweden. If you’re considering visiting the Arctic, read the specific travel advice for each of these countries and consider carefully the potential remoteness of certain destinations from search and rescue, evacuation and medical facilities. Independent travellers are particularly advised to develop contingency arrangements for emergency back-up.

The most popular way of visiting the Arctic is by ship. As some areas of the Arctic -specifically the more northerly and remote regions – can be uncharted and ice-covered, you should check the previous operational experience of cruise and other operators offering travel in the region. You should also consider the on-board medical facilities of cruise ships and talk to cruise operators as appropriate, particularly if you have a pre-existing medical condition.

The eight Arctic states take their international search and rescue obligations very seriously, and have recently signed a binding agreement on search and rescue co-operation in the Arctic. However, in the highest latitude regions of the Arctic, cruise ships may be operating in relative isolation from other vessels and/or inhabited areas. You should be aware that in these regions, search and rescue response will often need to be despatched from many hundreds of miles away, and assistance to stranded vessels may take several days to arrive, particularly in bad weather. Search and rescue assets are also likely to offer only basic transport and basic medical care, and are unlikely to be capable of advanced life-support. Responsible cruise operators should happily provide additional information relevant to the circumstances of the cruise they are offering, and address any concerns you may have.

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